Birthday Manipulations
by Teddylonglong
Summary: ONE-SHOT. Harry's seventeenth birthday - COMPLETELY AU! Weasley bashing.


**Birthday Manipulations**  
 **by Teddylonglong**

 _All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.  
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes._

 _Completely AU! Not a story for Weasley lovers..._

* * *

Harry Potter let out a happy sigh. Today was his seventeenth birthday, which meant that he was finally considered an adult in the magical world and as such able to do as he pleased.

Currently, he found himself at Potter Manor, where he was living together with Dobby and a dozen other house-elves, whom he had inherited from his ancestors. Three months ago, he had vanquished Voldemort and was now looking forward to his final Hogwarts year, which was going to commence on the following day.

In fact, he only had one problem. Only by chance, he and Hermione had found out that Ronald Weasley had never been his true friend but had been hired by Dumbledore to befriend Harry and spy on him. _'Greedy git,'_ Harry thought, when his thoughts travelled to his supposed-to-be best friend' sister. She had seemed to have a crash on Harry before she had even met him the first time, and Harry was sure that it was more a crash on the contents of his vaults than on his person. _'Oh well, I really have to get a grip on myself and tell her off,'_ he realised, when he readied himself to meet his guests.

He had only invited Hermione, Neville, Susan, Luna, the twins and, to keep up appearances for his own peace and quiet, Ron, along with Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Professor McGonagall, Madam Pomfrey and Hagrid.

"Is Harry Potter ready sir?" Dobby's voice brought Harry back to reality. "Your guests wills arrives any minute now."

"Oh right," Harry replied, smiling at the elf who had over the holidays become his best friend. _'Apart from Hermione,'_ he thought, _'although she's more like a sister than like a friend.'_

To his relief, Hermione was the first who stepped out of the fireplace, and Harry immediately agreed when Dobby suggested that he should take Hermione into the parlour, where the party was going to take place, promising that he would take care of the incoming floo calls.

"Happy Birthday Harry," Hermione said in a soft voice, handing him a present, which to his surprise for once had not the form of a book.

"Open it," she invited him, smiling, apparently realising that he eyed the fairly large box with interest.

"Thank you, Mione," Harry replied and lowered himself onto a sofa, placing the box on the table in front of him.

He slowly opened the box, only to stare at his friend in disbelief.

"Dragonhide boots," she explained, smiling. "You know I spent most of the holidays with Victor, and he knew…"

She interrupted herself when a parchment suddenly appeared out of nothing, hovering in front of Harry. "What's that?" she enquired, curiously sitting next to him on the sofa.

"I've no idea," Harry replied in confusion, reaching out for the parchment.

 _'Dear Harry,'_ it began, causing Harry to quickly read on in surprise.

 _'We hope that it was in your best interest that we made this betrothal contract for you as it is still custom with most pureblood families. Her parents are our best friends apart from the Longbottoms, and you are so cute together as babies. Please make the best out of it, and we wish you a very happy life. Know that we love you with all our hearts. Oh, happy seventeenth birthday by the way.  
Your loving parents, Lily and James Potter'_

"What?" Harry blurted out, looking at Hermione in confusion.

"Look, there's a second parchment," Hermione spoke up, when all of a sudden, another parchment manifested in the air in front of them.

Feeling annoyed that his hands were slightly shaking, Harry reached out for the parchment and, together with his best friend, began to read.

 _'Betrothal Contract between the ancient and noble Houses of Potter and XXXXX'_

"Can you read the name? It's all blurry," Harry spoke up in confusion, causing Hermione to shake her head.

Together, they skimmed the betrothal contract, only to be none the wiser when they reached the end. Harry only knew that his parents had promised him to a girl whom he was to marry right after finishing Hogwarts and that they had to produce heirs to both houses within five years of marriage.

"The magical world is crazy," Hermione blurted out, staring at the contract in disbelief. "How are you going to find out to whom you're betrothed?"

"There!" Harry gasped in relief, when a third parchment appeared out of nothing.

It was not just a parchment though. In the centre of the parchment sat a beautiful ring, followed by another explanation from his parents.

 _'Harry, please wear the ring. It will help you find your betrothed and get close to her, provided that you have not grown up together and know her anyway. You will also be able to communicate telepathically through the ring, and it's equipped with all kinds of safety charms. We hope that you'll be able to love her as much as we love each other. Good luck Harry.'_

"What?" Harry blurted out, feeling desperation at neither having a choice of whom to marry nor having a clue who his future wife was.

"Put it on," Hermione advised him.

"What?" Harry asked, unintelligently, feeling absolutely confused by the matter.

"Put the ring onto your finger, Harry," Hermione said, smiling.

"Oh right," Harry replied and tentatively slid the ring over the ring finger of his left hand.

HP

Before he could further discuss the matter with his best friend, the twins entered the Parlour closely followed by their brother Ron.

While the twins congratulated Harry, placing a huge box labelled 'W.W.W' on the table, Ron eyed his so-called friends with clear displeasure.

"Harry, what are you up to with my girlfriend?" he asked in a voice that was close to a growl.

"Nothing," Harry replied, efficiently managing to keep his anger towards his so-called friend at bay.

"I'm not your girlfriend. We never had any relationship, and as you should know well, my boyfriend is Victor Krum," Hermione spoke up in an icy voice.

"Really, what do you want with that stupid git?" Ron enquired, before he noticed the plate and box in his hands and placed them onto the table. "My present and a plate of cupcakes which Mum baked for you," he added in explanation.

"Oh, they look delicious," Hermione commented, reaching out for one of the cupcakes.

Before Harry even realised what she was doing, Ron said, quickly, "No, they're Harry's. If you want some, I'll ask Mum to bake some for you."

"No thanks," Hermione replied, giving Harry a knowing look.

"Why has Ginny not been invited by the way?" Ron asked, stroppily.

"Because I only invited my friends from our year," Harry replied, inwardly groaning. "Apart from the twins," he quickly added, noticing his mistake.

"And what's Loony doing here?" Ron hissed, pointing at Luna Lovegood who chose that instant to enter the room together with a whole bunch of his remaining guests.

"She's Neville's girlfriend," Harry said in an icy voice, before he turned to the newcomers, feeling very grateful that they had arrived to release him from Ron's inquisition.

 _'Thank Merlin, and I'm not going to touch these cakes,'_ he resolved, as he rose from the sofa to allow his guests to pull him into a series of hugs.

HP

It was about an hour later, when everyone was just having tea and large helpings from his birthday cake in the dining room under the watchful eyes of Lily and James in their life size portrait, that Harry felt a voice speaking directly into his mind.

'Hello Harry, happy seventeenth birthday.'

'Thank you,' Harry thought back, hoping that it would work to just think back. 'Who are you by the way?' he remembered to ask, causing the girl to chuckle.

'That's for me to know and for you to find out. At least you have the whole school year.'

'Would you perhaps like to join my birthday party?' Harry decided to invite his betrothed.

'I'd love that very much, but we're all just attending the end of holidays party at Malfoy Manor,' the girl replied, and from the emotions that came over with her words, Harry knew that she truly meant regret.

'So you're a Slytherin then,' he concluded, causing the girl to chuckle again.

'I'll see you on the Hogwarts Express tomorrow,' she replied, ending the conversation.

"Harry, are you all right?" Susan suddenly enquired, looking at him in apparent concern. "You just seemed very absentminded."

"I'm fine," Harry replied, noticing that Luna cast him a knowing look.

 _'Ah, surely everyone else already knows who my betrothed is,'_ Harry thought in annoyance. He quickly excused himself for a moment and headed into the library, before he called Dobby.

"Dobby, can you please take the plate with Mrs. Weasley's cupcakes to the party of the Slytherin students at Malfoy Manor?" he instructed his elf, who eagerly nodded with a broad grin plastered on his face.

"Of course Harry Potter, Dobby wills do this," he promised and popped away, making Harry wonder about any possible consequences. _'It's obvious that the cakes are laced with a love potion or something,'_ he thought in amusement.

HP

When all his guests left after a most pleasant party, Ron informed him, "Mum said you should take the floo to the Burrow at ten o'clock, so that you can travel to King's Cross with us as usual."

"No thank you," Harry replied in determination. "I'm an adult now, and I'm going to travel just by myself."

"No, you must travel with us," Ron contradicted, however, Harry remained firm, sighing in relief, when the twins cornered their younger brother and told him to leave him in peace.

HP

In the morning, Harry apparated straight onto platform nine and three quarters at half past ten to meet Hermione, like they had agreed on the previous day. Together, they boarded the Hogwarts Express and reserved an empty compartment, glad when Neville and Luna joined them a few minutes later.

The train just began to move, when Ron stumbled into their compartment, closely followed by his sister and seemingly out of breath.

 _'They didn't even ask if they may join us,'_ Harry thought in annoyance, as he grudgingly greeted the redheads. In fact, he had hoped that the seats would remain empty for other friends to visit – and also for his mysterious betrothed to come over and sit with him for a while. _'She said we'd meet on the train,'_ he thought, wondering how that was going to happen at all. _'Oh well, at least I know that it's one of the Slytherins,'_ he thought, astonished that his parents had been friends with Slytherins at all.

To Harry's surprise, the seventh-year Slytherin students kept walking forth and back outside their compartment, making him wonder what the matter was.

Finally, Millicent Bulstrode was the first who seemed to have found the courage to slide the door open. "Weasley, would you mind changing seats with me for a moment? I'd like to sit here," she said in a soft voice, causing Harry to inwardly groan. _'Don't tell me she's my betrothed,'_ he thought, horrified.

However, to his surprise, the girl, who took Ron's seat after he blushed and said something about going to the toilet, did not pay any attention to Harry. Instead, she spent the following ten minutes chatting with Ginny until Ron returned and claimed back his seat.

From that time onwards, a couple of Slytherin boys took turns entering the compartment to speak with Ginny, and Harry slowly realised what was going on, when Draco Malfoy topped everyone else by stating, "Weasley, come with me and marry me. You're beautiful."

To Harry's relief, Draco efficiently managed to pull Ginny with him, and Ron quickly followed the strange couple to keep an eye on his sister.

Harry blurted out laughing, before he informed his three friends what had caused the Slytherins' strange interest in Ginny Weasley.

They were still laughing, when the most beautiful girl whom Harry had ever seen approached the door. He instantly knew that it was her. His betrothed. He could recall having seen her in class before, although he did not have a clue who she was.

'Harry,' she thought to him through the ring, 'will you allow me to cast a spell at you to renew your memory of us? Please?'

'Sure,' Harry replied in confusion, shifting uncomfortably, when he suddenly found himself at wand point.

"It's all right," he muttered to Hermione and Neville, who had jumped up from their seats, wands ready in their hands.

He did not hear the spell she cast, however, all of a sudden, his mind was full of memories. Memories of Daphne, her parents and her sister, how they had checked on him as a little tyke in his cupboard, how they had taken him into their home when the Dursleys were on holidays.

"Daphne," he blurted out, looking at his fiancée in happiness. "Thanks for restoring my memory."

"It was Dumbledore's fault, but now everything will be all right," Daphne explained, before she leaned over and pulled him into a loving kiss, not caring about their audience.

"So it's you," Hermione stated, staring at her classmate.

"Mione, I knew her all my life. They'd only taken the memories from me so Dumbledore wouldn't know, because he wouldn't have approved," Harry explained, before a huge smile appeared on my face and he said, "May I introduce my fiancé, Daphne Greengrass?"

During the remaining hours of the train ride, Daphne remained sitting with Harry, Hermione, Luna and Neville, who were soon joined by her friend Tracey Davis.

By the time they arrived at Hogwarts, Harry felt happier than he had ever been before, a feeling that only intensified when Headmistress McGonagall offered them married quarters for their last Hogwarts year.

"I know that you're not married yet, but as head boy and girl you'd have your own rooms anyway," she said in a soft voice, causing the young couple to happily agree.

HP

At breakfast the following morning, Molly Weasley strode into the Great Hall making a beeline of the high table.

"Minerva, Ronald told me that Harry was not in his dormitory anymore, and I find this highly disturbing, considering that Albus made a contract with Ron to keep an eye on Harry. How is he supposed to do that if they don't share a room anymore?" Molly complained to the headmistress, just when the post owls swept into the Great Hall.

To the teachers' surprise, a school owl carrying a red envelope crashed onto the head table right in front of where Molly Weasley was standing. When she made no move to open the letter, it unfolded itself and began to shout in the voice of her daughter.

 _'MUM WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? YOUR CUPCAKES WERE SUPPOSED TO MAKE HARRY FALL IN LOVE WITH ME, NOT A BUNCH OF SLYHTERINS LET ALONE GIRLS! YOU BETTER BREW SOMETHING GOOD FOR HARRY VERY SOON!'_

Seeing Molly Weasley blush uncontrollably, barely able to contain her anger and embarrassment, the headmistress could not help chuckling.

"Just so you know, Molly, Harry Potter is engaged to Daphne Greengrass, and they plan to marry next summer," she said in a firm voice, glancing at the Gryffindor table, where Harry and Daphne were sitting together with Harry's friends.

"Congratulations Ms. Greengrass and Mr. Potter," Filius Flitwick squeaked in apparent happiness, causing huge applause from the high table as well as all house tables, while Molly Weasley fled the Great Hall in embarrassment.

 _'That went well,'_ Harry thought in amusement, as he pulled Daphne into a loving kiss.

 **The End**


End file.
